Looking back at our 2017 sustainability success

2017 was a memorable year – together we marked many sustainability successes. As we set our sights on 2018, we look back at some of the highlights:

The Calgary Zoo was certified as Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice (LEAF), and was honoured as the 1st tourist attraction in Canada to do so! The zoo was also proud to be officially certified 100% Ocean Wise.

Carmel Nicholls, Concessions Operations Manager, stands with many of the healthy food options available at Kitamba Cafe dining.

The Annual Easter Eggstravaganza focused on farm-to-fork, supporting and championing local producers and suppliers, and businesses with strong sustainable messages.

Cococo Chocolaterie partners with the zoo to supply sustainable chocolate bars that support lemurs here and abroad.

We took time to E-rase the E-Waste! Working with Global Electric Electronic Processing (GEEP), the zoo hosted a four day electronic recycling event in the name of Earth Day in April of 2017.

To mark Earth Day on Saturday April 22, the Calgary Zoo is calling on all Calgarians to safely and securely recycle their unused electronics.

Calgarians took action for wildlife conservation! Working with Rainforest Alliance, the zoo set up a Conservation Action tent to educate visitors about purchasing forest-friendly products through games and activities. Another tent was created to educate about the importance of pollinator friendly plants.

Did you see our Conservation Action Stations this summer? You could ‘shop’ for Rainforest Alliance products in Destination Africa, and learn all about Pollinators on Grazers lawn.

Land of Lemurs opened, marking the first new building opened at the zoo since 2012’s Penguin Plunge. The habitat was built with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) sustainable lumber where possible, and the zoo began working with the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership to aid native African lemurs through re-forestation and community conservation efforts. The indoor building also features glass with custom etching – to deter wild birds from hitting the windows.

Land of Lemurs includes an indoor building for the primates when the weather turns colder. The lemurs can be viewed from the upper landing outside the building.

The Calgary Zoo kicked our composts into high gear using new JORA bins! Fruits and vegetables were collected from the kitchens turned into compost. In only five months in 2017, 400 kg of waste was transformed into excellent quality compost and used it in our gardens!

The Calgary Zoo has started a new pure organics compost program.calgary

Success with waste! Since rolling out our three-stream bins on Earth Day 2016, the Calgary Zoo reduced our waste by 50 per cent – that’s 103,867 kg in one year, and equivalent to the weight of 87 giraffes!

The Calgary Zoo is introducing three stream bins- making composting and recycling at the zoo as easy as 1, 2 , 3

We have entered 2018 with a renewed passion for sustainability, conservation, and a determination to continue to save species. The support of our zoo family, volunteers, visitors and donors means the world to us, and enables us to continue our mission.

We look forward to many more years in our journey as Canadian leaders in wildlife conservation.

ABOUT THE BLOG

At the Calgary Zoo, we have endless stories to share about our animals, our people and our conservation work. Whether we are inspiring our visitors to love nature, saving species in western Canada from extinction or working with scientists on the other side of the globe, our ultimate goal is simple: to help wildlife and keep it wild.